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100 kmph limit not for all

The new speed limit sign along the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, El Socorro.

Not so fast!

The warning is to maxi taxi operators, Public Transport Service Corporation bus drivers and vehicles that are designed to carry more than ten passengers.

The speed limit on the nation’s highways remain 65 kilometres per hour (kmph) for those drivers even though the speed limit is now 100 kmph by law.

The speed limit for tractors remains at 35 kmph on the highways, while within a built-up area the allowed speed is 20 kmph.

This comes three days after the speed limit was changed to 100 kmph by President Anthony Carmona, who approved the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment No 2) Act of 2017.

The ministry, in a release on Friday, stated that under the new limit, motorists driving private vehicles and goods vehicles, whose maximum gross weight (MGW) does not exceed 3,200 kilogrammes, are allowed to drive at 100 kmph along the Beetham, Churchill Roosevelt, Uriah Butler and Solomon Hochoy Highways.

At the walkover in Sea Lots, director of legal services at the Ministry of Works and Transport Marvin Gonzales said motorists are advised to drive under the 100 kmph.

The previous speed limit of 80 kmph still applies along the Audrey Jeffers Highway, Diego Martin Highway, the Valencia Stretch and Rienzi-Kirton Highway and South Trunk Road Extension in south Trinidad.

In Tobago, the old speed limit will apply to the Claude Noel Highway, Shirvan Road between the highway and Grafton Road and along the Auchenskeoch-Buccoo Bay Road from Shirvan Junction to Montgomery Road.

In the past, these roads and highways carried the speed limit of 65 kmph.

Giving more details of the new law, Gonzales said outside of the 100 and 80 kmph zones, the speed limit for all drivers except those driving tractors, remain at 50 kmph within built-up areas.

Gonzales said an omnibus, which falls into the class of maxi taxis and PTSC buses, have to maintain the 65 kmph on all highways because “they are carrying passengers.”

He said there has been no change to the speed limit for three classes of vehicles—omnibus, vehicles constructed to carry more than ten passengers and goods vehicles exceeding 3,200 kilogrammes in weight with or without a trailer.

Gonzales said vehicles which do not have a trailer attached, the speed limit would be 100 kmph. This also applies to motorcycles.

He said goods vehicles which do not exceed 3,200 kilogrammes in weight, and is not equipped with a trailer, as well as cars and motorcycles are permitted to drive at 100 kmph on the four outlined highways.

Such vehicles, he said are SUVs such as Range Rover, Kia Sportage, pick-up vans such as Navaras, Hilux, which he referred to as “light goods vehicles.” These vehicles previously had a 65 kmph limit.

Gonzales said he has requested the traffic engineers at the ministry to upgrade their signage “and just do not put 100 or 80 kmph on the highway signs” because it would give misleading information.

“It would give the impression that every vehicle can drive at that 100 kmph speed limit which is not the case. Different classes of vehicles require different speed limits,” he said.

What is needed, Gonzales said, was larger signage on the highways that would show the legal speed limit for different categories of vehicles. He said the ministry would embark on this, stating that these signs will cost a lot of money.

MORE INFO

DESCRIPTION OF VEHICLE MAXIMUM SPEED
Outside a Within a
built-up area built-up area
Tractor 35 20
Motor Omnibus 65 50
Vehicle constructed to 65 50
carry more than 10 passengers
Goods vehicle licensed MGW which exceeds 65 50
3200 kilogrammes with or without trailer
Goods vehicle licensed MGW which does not 65 50
exceed 3,200 kilogrammes with a trailer
Goods vehicle licensed MGW which does not 100 50
exceed 3,200 kilogrammes without a trailer
Private motorcar with trailer 65 50
Any other vehicle 100 50